Animated signs



Oct. 22, 1957 w. o. FRAEsDoRF, JR 2,810,223

ANIMATED SIGNS Filed May 5, 1954 IN V EN TOR. JIT/fam 0. f-desofo rf; Jr.

United States l Patent" O.

ANIMATED SIGNS William O. Fraesdorf, Jr., Tucson,` Ariz. Applicafinn May s, 1954, serial No. 421,809

4 s Claims. (c1. 4in-39) My invention relates in general to animated signs, and more in particular to a mechanical sign which is animated through rotation about a generally vertical axis and which includes a supporting frame structure for simple and easy mounting at an intended point of use.

The principal object of my invention is the provision of .an improved animated sign.

Another object is the provision' of a sign which will rotate even with a very slight air movement, and in van animated fashion display a message appearing thereon.

Still another object is the provision of a sign of the character described which may be quickly set up at a chosen location.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a sign of the character identified which is inexpensive to produce but which has marked interest-attracting qualities.

Other objects and features of my invention will be apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings, where- Fig. 1 is an isometric View showing one embodiment of the sign of my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional viewvtaken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a further enlarged, transverse sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2; and

Figs. 4 and 5 are elevational views of two of the members forming the sign.

The sign of my invention, as shown in the drawings, comprises two principal parts consisting of a supporting frame and a rotating sign assembly 11.

The frame 10 has a relatively long, vertical standard 12 adapted to be forced into the ground by means of a step 13, and a pair of parallel projecting horizontal arms 16 and 17.

The sign portion 11 comprises sheet metal members 18 and 19 with vertical end slots 21 and 22, respectively, which may be assembled by engaging the slots together to form four panels 23, 24, 26 and 27. The sheet metal portions 18 and 19 have articulated edge portions 29, 31, 32 and 33, the exact structure and function of which will be described later.

The members 18 and 19 are held in assembled relation by means of a top cap 34 and a bottom cap 36, preferably with four wood quarter rounds 37 in each cap as Fig. 3 shows. The caps 34 and 36 may be die castings or they may be formed in any inexpensive manner to provide a cup portion with a skirt into which the four quarter rounds extend to act as positioning and stabilizing members. The cup portion is cross-cut to form kerfs for the receipt of the top and bottom edges'of the assembled sheet metal members 18 and 19, in the manner shown in Fig. 3. When the members 18 and 19, caps 34 and 36, and quarter rounds 37 are assembled, a nut 38 may be tightened on a bolt 39 to form a rigid structure. Generally speaking, I have found it unnecessary to place another bolt at right angles to the bolt 39, but such additional bolt may be used if desired. It is of course obvious that any conventional lock washers, lock nuts or the like may be employed with or to replace the nut 38.

The sign assembly 11 is suspended from the arm 16 by means of a special bearing structure in which an inner race of a combination thrust and radial bearing 41 is provided with a shank 42 having a narrow threaded portion extending through a hole in a flattened end portion of the arm 16 to which a fastening nut 43 is threaded, with of course the usual provisions for locking common in the mechanical arts. A recess is provided in the top of the cap 34 above the members 18 and 19 so arranged that the cap engages the outerrrace of the ball bearing, and the entire weight of the Yassembly 11 is therefore carried by the ball bearing.

To stabilize the position of the sign, a pin 45 is screwed into a threaded aperture in the bottom of the cap 36 and projects loosely into an end opening 44 provided at the end of the arm 17. In actual operations the sign of course may be supported in many different ways, but as shown is intended to be portable and set up at a suitable location, for example (as indicated by the words Open House on the panels 24 and 26) in front of a house which a real estate agent is offering for inspection and sale. The sign is mounted by merely putting the foot on the step 13 and forcing the vertical standard 12 a suflicient distance into the ground. With even a slight wind the sign will start to rotate and, regardless of the speed of rotation, always displays the words appearing on the panels facing the observer. If the words Open House were those to be used, then Open would be painted on one side of each panel and House on the opposite side of each panel, and the panels assembled so that when looking at any two panels facing toward the observer the word Open will appear at the left and the word House at the right. With this arrangement, regardless of which position an observer may be in around a circle of 360 with the sign as a center, he always sees the words Open House as they appear in Fig. 1, but with a certain animation and brilliance not present when such words appear on a perfectly stationary sign. The extent to which the articulated edges 29, 31, 32 and 33 are bent in general determines the speed at which the sign will rotate in a given wind. The rotation is always in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, if the articulations are in the direction indicated in this figure.

One of the advantages of the structure shown is that while the rotating sign portion 11 is held with adequate rigidity by the frame portion 10, it is in fact suspended entirely from the bearing 41 and it is unnecessary to closely align a bottom bearing. The structure produces a very freely-rotating sign.

Various means may be employed for supporting the panels at the center along the axis rotation. Without support, the sign has a tendency to be noisy in a strong wind. The quarter rounds, or equivalent, however, cause the sign to rotate quietly even at very high speeds.

I am aware that in general rotating signs are known, but the sign of my invention introduces novel features of construction and operation leading to economies and advantages in use.

Iclaim:

l. An animated sign comprising top and bottom caps having skirts, each provided with two kerfs at right angles to each other, two sheet metal members with center top and bottom slots engaging together to form four panels, said sheet metal members being supported in the kerfs of said top and bottom caps, a combination bearing in said top cap having its inner race provided with a shank projecting upwardly from said top cap, a fram@ Ice. Patented oca-22, .1957,

member, and means for securing said shank to said frame member.`

2. An animated sign comprising top and bottom caps j havingskirts, each 'provided with two kerfsat right angles to each other, two fs'heetlmetl members `with eenterftop and bottom slutsengagingtogemertofform four panels, said sheet metal members bing-1supprted1in the kerfs of said top and bottom caps, a mrribination"bearing in said top cap having its inner race provided with `a shank projecting upwardly lfrom said top cap, -a frame member, anda pin projecting downwardly from said bottom cap into an opening in the frame memben 3. A sign as defined in claim 2 wherein said frame comprises a vertical portion, a pair of horizontal arms` at `top and bottom of `said caps, and means for securing said frame to a support.

4. An animated sign comprising top and bottom caps having circular skirts, each provided withradial kerfs at right angles to each other, two sheet `metal members with center top `and `bottom slots engaging together to form four panels, four quarter rounds, each set in an-angle formed by two panels, said quarters `rounds extending into the skirts and the panels into said kerfs, and means for yclamping the skirt together to hold the parts in assembled relation.

5. An animated sign comprisingtop and bottom caps having circular skirts, each provided with radial kerfs at right angles to each other, two sheet metal members withlcenter top and bottom slotsengaging together to form four panels, four quarter rounds, each set in an angle formed by two panels, said quarter rounds extending into the skirts and the panels into said kerfs, means for clamping the skirt together to hold the parts in assembled relation, a combination bearing in said top cap having its inner race provided with a shank projecting j* upwardly from said top caps, a frame to which said shank is secured, said frame having a hole near the bottom cap, and a pin projecting downwardly from said bottom cap into said hole.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 'fami 

